Ireland’s 4x400m women’s relay team competed in Bydgoszcz, Poland, today, recording a time of 3 minutes 30.61 seconds to finish second to Poland who won in 3:29.33.
The team of Claire Bergin, Joanne Cuddihy, Marian Heffernan and Michelle Carey had been targeting to break 3:30 to further cement their top-16 placing required to secure Olympic qualification.
The team had a ranking of 12th following their performance at the World Track and Field Championships in Daegu last year when they ran 3:27.48 to set a new Irish record.
The team will now turn their focus to the European Track and Field Championships to further improve their time and ranking.
At the EAP meet in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday, Steven Colvert set a personal best of 20.69 seconds in the 200m while his training partner and Olympian Paul Hession set a seasonal best of 20.76.
Both were inside the A standard for the European Track and Field Championships.
In the 400m hurdles Tom Barr and Justine Kinney were both inside the B standard for the European Track and Field Championships with 50.80 and 57.31 respectively.
Irish record holder Ailis McSweeney was back on the track after recovering from an Achilles injury and she ran 12.28 in the 100m.
Her club-mate and training partner Derval O’Rourke ran 11.93 and went on to run a season opener over 100m hurdles in the Chaux De Fonds meet today recording a time of 13.47.
